Libertarian Thread #2: We Shall Never Die!

Epignosis wrote: What a lot of folks don't realize is that "welfare" takes up so little of our budget, that if it were cut out completely, practically nothing would change in terms of government spending.

I think what Rob is getting at here is that when people think "welfare" they think "free money from the government", and that "free money" is such a tiny part of the budget that getting upset about it is pointless. Entitlement spending is not welfare because people pay into it, and it wouldn't be such a big problem if the government weren't so recklessly irresponsible. If the government hadn't written itself IOUs on the increased revenue from the increased Social Security taxes in the '80s we would actually have some money for when the Baby Boomers retire. 
 

Equality 7-2521 wrote:  This is why spending has to be cut. You can't tax your way out of a deficit, it doesn't work. Spending must be cut.

I think that everybody agrees spending should be cut, at least on the ground. In Washington, it might a different story, since people tend to get outraged when the abstract ideas of cutting programs starts to affect them, and Washington is foremost beholden to the elections. The disagreement is whether or not it's a good idea to slash spending in a recession and what exactly should be cut. 
 

Epignosis wrote:   The first novel I wrote is called Tolerance.  It deals with an alien race among US people.   This alien race is inherently inept and stupid, yet the United States government requires that teachers and other federally-funded entities cater to them and help them thrive, despite the havoc that doing so causes.

Is that...racist?


Edited by Henry Plainview - February 08 2011 at 01:29

Epignosis wrote: Llama, in the spirit of free trade, I will send you a copy of Refulgence (next Epignosis album) for a good book you wrote.  What say you?

Deal! As I say, my next one should be ready in a couple of days, so I will PM you for your address then.

The T wrote: Epignosis wrote: The T wrote: Epignosis wrote: The T wrote: Epignosis wrote: So T, when will you be converting to Christianity?   When they stop opposing freedom....  "The truth shall set you free."  "Nothing shall set you free since you were born free."  I was a "go-along" Christian until 16 or so. Eventually I said things orthodox Christians didn't like, like how the doctrine of the Trinity is a fraud, "Satan" does not exist, and "hell" is a bullsh*t scare tactic people made up.  I also drink beer because Christ made wine! Neal Morse is booed for his "preachiness," but ironically, he would be viewed with scorn in most churches in the US because he also is not a Trinitarian. Interesting. I have never have profound religious beliefs. My family has never been religious. At one point in my life I used to pray but eventually I realized it was empty interested prayer: I was not really praying out of faith but out of interest. I stopped immediately.  Politically I've never been nothing because I never found an answer to many questions in my head and in my ego and in my personality. Thus, I tried to create order in that chaos with control, and control is the basic point of communism and fascism. Yes, I actually liked things of the Third Reich at one point in my life. It was all about power, narcissism, weakness of the ego and the self. of course I grew out of that but the belief still wasn't there because I never really believed in anything. It was easy to suscribe to democratic-socialism since it sounds nice, it's quite popular, and provided a safe cushion for my procrastinating self.  Not anymore. Because in the ideas of liberty and freedom I found myself. I always believed in all that. But my own inconsistencies stopped me from realizing the system I was dreaming off would only work if I RUN IT. Total show of a dangerous view of politics.  Not anymore.

You truly impress me.

I used to love communism.. Oh the flags the parades, the missiles, the statues, the hammer and the sickle.. The POWER! 

The T wrote: JJLehto wrote: Fair enough Teo, though lack of economic knowledge has never stopped me from anything! That's why you find a wall consistently proving socialism wrong...

Hehe yeah but have to tread lightly! While im no socialist I can't quash it too badly or it would look bad!
Those commies though...silly mofo's

Fair enough Teo, though lack of economic knowledge has never stopped me from anything!

The T wrote: Epignosis wrote: So T, when will you be converting to Christianity?   When they stop opposing freedom....

"The truth shall set you free." 

i still have ideological gaps... though they are mostly originated in my poorer knowledge of economics when compared to these guys here... 

Just wanted to make sure his many many pages of work didn't go unnoticed in your conversion from freedom hater to libertarian! 

Oh llama has missed much! Has he found yet that Teo is  hard core libertarian?